St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-25
SINGING PSALMS
Was All the Rage in the Days Of
Miracles and the
Prophets,
But Now the People Are Eager to
See and Hear the Preach
ing Sans.
The Very-Much- Talked-About Religious
Revival Successfully InauguIated
at Minneapolis.
Sam Jones and Sam Small Appear Before
Large Audiences in the Afternoon
and Evening.
Jones Makes Characteristic Talk
and Rubs the Salt Into Friend
and Foe Alike.
and Rubs the Salt Into Friend
and Foe Alike.
The Exposition Building Crowded to
Suffocation and Thousands OF
People Turned Away.

DS the local MSINOulSlS 1OI Tile JOlleS dlltl
Small revival meetings. A great room on
the main floor of the Exposition building,
with sittings for over 1000 people had been
partitioned off, a large chorus of singers
had been in rehearsal preparatory love
feast at Hennepin Avenue church Saturday
evening had aroused spiritual longings in
the souls of the elect. and it only remained
for the evanselsts themselves to appear to
insure what in Methodistic parlance is
known as great awakening" Yesterday
morning the missionaries to Christian peo-
pie came. and yesterday afternoon the first
meeting of what promises to be remark
able revival, was held in the Exposition
building. The people began to assemble
shortly after dinner, and long before 80 clock,
the hour OF service, the great room was
filled. But the sidewalk on Main street
was still filled with people going toward
the building, and it is safe to say that fully
as many were turned away as found ad-
mittance to the hall. The arrangements
for handling the great crowd could not
have been worse, and the great Sam said
wisely when he ordered that hereafter the
doors shall be closed when the seats are all
taken. Yesterday, after every seat was
occupied and every aisle filled, the people
CONTINUED CROwDING AT THE DOORS
until there was imminent danger of crush
ing delicate women to death. The confu-
sion at the main entrance to the hall lasted
all through the opening exercises, and was
so great as to attract the attention Of the
entire congregation. The people nearest
the doors were being pushed forward by
those behind, and as the room was full,
those in the front crush Jared badly. To
add to the excitement, some man with
more voice than sense stood OIL
chair near the door and called
out in stentorian tones: Back, back"
You are killing the ladies' 1.-The room is
full" policeman, drive this crowd back!".
and the people who were wonderfully good
natured, guyed the brother and kept on
pushing. When Sam Jones arose he
pointed finger at the noisy crowd at the
main entrance and speaking in tones that
commanded immediate attention, he told
them to either behave and keep quiet or
get out. Now this was all right from Sans
point OF view, but if he had suggested a
practical method by which those in the
crush could have got out his advice would
have been gladly acted upon. Having
sQuelched the noisy people, Sam knocked
out the party who stood OH the chair by
saying, that brother who is trying to keep
order will please sit down; he is making
more noise than anybody" Then the SER
mon began. Despite the fact that the peo-
pie were fairly wedged into the room. not
window was lowered and no attempt at
ventilation was made.
THE AIR WAS HORRIBLE,
but the doors were the only open places.
A few Of the disappointed people on the
outside cut holes through the flooring of
which the partition was made, and thus
got glimpse of the modern apostle. In.
deed, the Minneapolis people, like the
Jews Of old, crowded to see and hear the
nothing to be gained by climbing trees,
these modern publicans exercised their in
genuity in another way.
The audience was certainly representa-
tive, for every grade of society had sent
members to hear the Sans; rich and door,
saint and sinner, respectable and degraded
ali classes were within the sound of the
word, and the impression produced was
evidently as diverse as the listeners. TAX
ing as his text, Il Have Fought a Good
Fight" Sam Jones talked just as his
thought led him. He delighted in giving
hard hits to the clerggs and every hit told
and was greeted with laughter and ap-
plause. He made sweeping remarks
against the newspaper men, much to the
delight of his hearers. He thanked
God for the Salvation Army, and reminded
the MethOdistS of their own lowly origin in
very homely, though forcible phrase. He
boldly avowed his simple faith in God, and
whatever else his audience thought, no one
doubted his intense sincerity. Some said
he was blasphemer, some,a clown, others
that he was unique in his methods, but all
that he was and is sincere. He did not con-
slider this first meeting auspicious, but ex-
pressed abundant hopesfor future success.
A meeting will be held this afternoon, and
another this evening.
THE AFTERNOON DISCOURSE.
Rev. Sam Jones made the following re-
marks, i'll reference to disturbance at the
door. before proceeding with his discourse:
wish you would give me the attention of
that door for minute; listen, want the at
tention OF those standing around that door
You make a disturbance out there and will
have your name in my pocket before this
service is closed, and we will have u service
with you next Sunday in Jail, sir. Now be-
have yourself. This is no hoodlum gather
ing here for you to stand around that door
and make fuss like fool or a scoundrel.
Now you stop that, sir. And / say another
thing; you fellows that are trying to keep
order shut your mouth, you are making
more noise than any of the people.
Laughter. Now, in all my experience
in the past have seen more
disturbance here this afternoon than I have
in ten years of revival work. You know how
to behave yourselves, and if you don't know
how to behave, you get out of this audience
and stay out of it. We don't want any an
noyance around these meetings. Now hope
what have said is sufficient. And l warn
you now that this is a religious service, and
there is a law in the state of Minnesota that
enforces decency, at least when you come
where you worship God. 1t is with great
pleasure that meet the audience this after
noon, the citizens, my fellow citizens of
America. in this perhaps the most Cody
city of America in many respects. You are
young. you are vigorous, you are energetic.
You see city of life and activity and energy,
and will show you people If you turn them
fully to God that will be a live energetic,
active religious community. In many of our
older towns they look to the eye Of the visitor
like cemetery-the whole business. There
is no life. no activity, aud you cannot turn
deadness and lukewarmness to activity nearly
so easily as you can tame the active. vigor-
ous elements in a city like this and turn il
into a religious channel. And then you have
an
ACTIVE. AGGRESSIVE RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT
And come among you simply to help you
In the work you ought to have done without
me. come among you simply TO help yor
RI do the work that you ought to do whether
T am here or not ] am man just as you
Gre with all the frailtles you have; with al
the weaknesses you have; with all the pas